5. that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid: Cancer is a common fear.

Fear affects every person differently and that is both the beauty and difficulty when discussing the concept of it.

As I walked back and forth through inches of snow in town today to get to somewhere where I could use a computer the concept of fear came up in my self talk. I’m not going to go into a ton of detail about my perception of it but, I thought two things.

Fear is a good thing. Without it we’d probably be extinct by now. That is, it provides the basic psychological function of making someone think about their choices, options and consequences.

It’s OK to think about your choices, options and consequences but, if you really want to do something do not let fear of failure stop you! Allowing fear to, um –win out– spells a recipe for bitterness and denial that can last a lifetime and affect many around you. Again, it can be “real or imagined” so think of your situation in a different context and you might not be so scared. I mean, fear is whatever you perceive it to be.

I just read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. I’ll be cliche and say, “If you haven’t read it you are severely missing out!” It does speak of God, which, in the author’s view, can be stand for whoever and whatever you believe in. I’m a spiritual person; not religious so when I first came across the word “God” or “Him” I prepared to get preached too.

It was nothing of the sorts.

Anyways, there is a boy who is pursuing his dream or, “Personal Legend”. When he first decides to chase after it, which takes him from Andorra (Spain) to the Pyramids of Egypt, there is what Coelho describes as “Beginners Luck”. Then there seems to be this period of hardship where the boy solidifies his desire to keep chasing his dream. Then, again, things work out for a bit until he hits the moment of truths, that is, situations that require him to demonstrate all the things he’s learned along his journey about life, people, Earth, spirits, love, and–most importantly– what he’s learned about himself. Ultimately, in an act that only few believe he’s capable of doing, he achieves his goal, which ironically, takes him right back to where he started. ::Why does it always happen like that!?::

And look at Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock. He went from football player, to wrestler to big time actor. I’m sure he had plenty of fear wondering what the hell he was doing or if he’d be successful. But, he made a commitment and went after it, fear or no fear.

I’m not sure what stage I am in. I’ve had the beginners luck. I’ve dealt with some hardships that have made me very sure in what I am doing. Some things seem to be going smoothly but, not so smoothly that I’d say, “Holy Crap!” Actually, it has. My Tucson trip is happening, I got a homestay, the homestay is in the same neighborhood as my training partners and friends, and I’m tying up the loose ends at home before I go. I couldn’t be more grateful.

A lot can go wrong before I get to Tucson but, I anticipate that might be where I get smacked in the face with a dose of reality, as it is my first training camp, my first time training away from home, my first time training with other pros (other than Bec and Laurel). Preview

There is a bit of fear. I cannot deny it. But, I’m prepared mentally to do my best and that will be, well, it will be the best I am capable of whether its a hard swim set, long TT session or standing in the ring with The Rock.